Whereas existing regenerative shock absorbers mainly focus on the methods of energy harvesting, there is no such regenerative shock absorber for use in extended range EVs. In this paper, we present a novel high-efficiency energy regenerative shock absorber using supercapacitors that is applied to extend the battery endurance of an EV.
In theory, by regenerating braking energy, maximum fuel efficiency can be increased by 30%, and efficiency can be further improved by 10% by recovering the vibration energy in suspension systems . Energy regenerative shock absorber (ERSAs) that scavenge vibration energy are considered one of the most promising methods.
The regenerative shock absorber is divided into four modules: vibration energy capture module, motion conversion module, generator module and electric energy storage module. The random vibration of suspension, caused by certain factors, such as rugged roads and speed variation, acts on the vibration energy capture module.
The vibration energy from vehicle suspension systems is always wasted in heat and can be utilized for useful purposes. Many researchers have designed various regenerative shock absorbers (RSA) to transform vibration energy into electrical energy that can charge electric vehicles’ batteries and power low-wattage devices.
The conventional hydraulic shock absorber is responsible for absorbing vibration energy caused by uneven road excitations and maintaining the vehicle’s comfort and handling. Simultaneously, the vibration energy is wasted in the form of heat to the environment. RSA may transform vibration energy into electrical energy for later use.
Conclusion An energy regenerative shock absorber is able to harvest the kinetic energy from the vehicle suspension vibration. This paper presented the design, modelling, simulation and test of a novel energy regenerative shock absorber based on dual-overrunning clutches for electrical vehicles.
A regenerative shock absorber is a type of shock absorber that converts parasitic intermittent linear motion and vibration into useful energy, such as electricity. Conventional shock absorbers simply dissipate this energy as heat. In electric or hybrid vehicles, electricity generated by the shock absorber can be used to extend battery life by powering the drivetrain. In non-electric vehicles, it can power accessories like air conditioning